1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light emitting diode (LED) display array, and more particularly to a waterproof LED display array that has a watertight housing.
2. Description of Related Art
Light emitting diode (LED) displays are often used in signboard advertising. LED displays normally comprise a rectangular or hex array of LEDs mounted on one or more printed circuit boards (PCB) controlled by special hardware and/or software to perform certain images on a screen to provide images to attract the attention of potential customers. Such LED displays are also widely used by families or individuals for other purposes, such as Christmas tree decorations.
In numerous occasions, such LED displays must be placed outdoors. As a result, an LED display with waterproof function becomes desirable. Traditional covered LED displays, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,501,084 by Sakai et al, show a housing with a cover and several LEDs mounted on a PCB inside the housing. However, if the waterproof cover was not sealed properly, water or water vapor can easily penetrate the LED display so that the LED display will fail quickly.
Another kind of waterproof LED display has also been commonly used, as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,507 by Yang. Waterproof silica gel is spread over joints between the joints between the panel and the housing. Unfortunately, Yang's invention was designed mainly for larger LED commercial displays and it is comparatively difficult to expand the number of the units.